Veteran forward Anthony Tolliver has verbally agreed to a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies to play the rest of the 2019-20 season, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times. The deal can be completed as soon as Tuesday, when the league's one-week transaction window opens.
Tolliver had signed a 10-day deal with the Grizzlies after stints with the Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings earlier this season.
A 3-and-D specialist, Tolliver should bring a strong veteran boost to a Grizzlies team that has greatly accelerated its rebuilding efforts with the help of rookie Ja Morant and second-year forward Jaren Jackson Jr.
Tolliver didn't take long to impress his new teammates, putting up 12 points and three rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench along with a 4-of-5 night from 3-point range in a win over the Atlanta Hawks on March 2. This happened a mere few hours after the team signed him to a 10-day deal.
The veteran is averaging 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in five games with the Grizzlies, shooting 41.1% from deep during his short stint with the team.
The Grizzlies initially brought Tolliver in to make up depth after an injury forced Jackson to the sidelines. Yet even as Jackson is expected to suit back up when the league restarts on July 30, Memphis sees value in a veteran like Tolliver, as they will have to survive the last eight games of the regular season before seeing the playoffs again.
Memphis last made the postseason in 2016-17, taking the seventh spot in the Western Conference.
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